Methods and apparatus for facilitated off-site targeted internet advertising

Abstract

A super-saturation method for information-media relates to directing information to an electronic media consumer (reader, surfer, viewer, listener, etc.). Embodiments of the present invention facilitate a first media entity substantially offering out of context information placement using a second media entity. A facilitator entity guarantees that a consumer of the second media is a known consumer of the first media. Accordingly, the second media entity presents an out of context information placement. For example, an Internet site “AAA” is oversubscribed with potential paying advertising content at $100 CPM. This site offers advertisers an option to present their advertisements to certified “AAA” viewers, albeit on a non-AAA Internet site, for $50 CPM. The facilitator locates certified AAA viewers at Internet site “BBB” that normally charges $30 CPM. Contracts between AAA, BBB, and the facilitator divide a new revenue stream of $20 CPM among them.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of facilitating off-site targeted Internet advertising with a first computer controlled by a proprietor of a first Internet site, which proprietor has sold, for a first price, placements of an electronic advertisement on other Internet sites, which advertisement is directed to an offering of a third-party advertiser, the method comprising automatically:
 a. with the first computer, in conjunction with a second computer controlling ad space on the second Internet site, which second computer is controlled by an agency under contract with the proprietor of the second Internet site, detecting visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have visited a first Internet site and that have a cookie that:
 i. is stored on the visitor computer as a consequence of said visitor computer having visited the first Internet site; and 
 ii. allows access to information in a database accessible to the first computer; 
 
 b. with the first computer using the information in the database to identify those of the visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have conducted a specific predetermined action on the first Internet site; 
 c. with the first computer, communicating with the second computer to cause the second computer to direct the electronic advertisement to those of the visitor computers that have been identified, as a result of part (b), as having conducted the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site, for display in ad space on the second Internet site by the identified visitor computers; and 
 d. with the first computer, causing a proprietor of the second Internet site to receive revenue, as a result of part (c), in an amount less than the first price, for display of the advertisement; 
 e. wherein the proprietor of the first Internet site retains at least part of the difference between the first price and the revenue received by the proprietor of the second Internet site. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a response to a particular question provided via the visitor computer on the first Internet site. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a reaction via the visitor computer to a predetermined aspect of the first Internet site. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises remaining on the first Internet site for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises an interest expressed by visiting a section of the first site. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer dropping content of the advertisement into a browser of the visitor computer. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer directing a browser of the visitor computer to fetch the ad. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein the advertisement is directed for display by the identified visitor computers using web television. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the revenue is calculated on a CPM basis. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the revenue is calculated as a percentage of a sales transaction resulting from display of the advertisement. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject matter of the advertisement relates to content of the first Internet site but not to content of the second Internet site. 
     
     
       12. A tangible first computerized apparatus controlled by a proprietor of a first Internet site, which proprietor has sold, for a first price, placements of an electronic advertisement on other Internet sites, which advertisement is directed to an offering of a third-party advertiser, wherein the first computerized apparatus is programmed to implement a method of facilitating off-site targeted Internet advertising, the method comprising automatically:
 a. in conjunction with a second computer controlling ad space on the second Internet site, which second computer is controlled by an agency under contract with the proprietor of the second Internet site, detecting visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have visited a first Internet site and that have a cookie that:
 i. is stored on the visitor computer as a consequence of said visitor computer having visited the first Internet site; and 
 ii. allows access to information in a database accessible to the first computer; 
 
 b. using the information in the database to identify those of the visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have conducted a specific predetermined action on the first Internet site; 
 c. communicating with the second computer to cause the second computer to direct the electronic advertisement to those of the visitor computers that have been identified, as a result of part (b), as having conducted the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site, for display in ad space on the second Internet site by the identified visitor computers; and 
 d. causing a proprietor of the second Internet site to receive revenue, as a result of part (c), in an amount less than the first price, for display of the advertisement; 
 e. wherein the proprietor of the first Internet site retains at least part of the difference between the first price and the revenue received by the proprietor of the second Internet site. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a response to a particular question provided via the visitor computer on the first Internet site. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a reaction via the visitor computer to a predetermined aspect of the first Internet site. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises remaining on the first Internet site for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises an interest expressed by visiting a section of the first site. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer dropping content of the advertisement into a browser of the visitor computer. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer directing a browser of the visitor computer to fetch the ad. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the advertisement is directed for display by the identified visitor computers using web television. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the revenue is calculated on a CPM basis. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the revenue is calculated as a percentage of a sales transaction resulting from display of the advertisement. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the subject matter of the advertisement relates to content of the first Internet site but not to content of the second Internet site. 
     
     
       23. An article comprising a tangible medium that is not a transitory propagating signal encoding computer-readable instructions that, when applied to a tangible first computerized apparatus controlled by a proprietor of a first Internet site, which proprietor has sold, for a first price, placements of an electronic advertisement on other Internet sites, which advertisement is directed to an offering of a third-party advertiser, instruct the first computerized apparatus to automatically implement a method of facilitating off-site targeted Internet advertising, the method comprising:
 a. in conjunction with a second computer controlling ad space on the second Internet site, which second computer is controlled by an agency under contract with the proprietor of the second Internet site, detecting visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have visited a first Internet site and that have a cookie that:
 i. is stored on the visitor computer as a consequence of said visitor computer having visited the first Internet site; and 
 ii. allows access to information in a database accessible to the first computer; 
 
 b. using the information in the database to identify those of the visitor computers visiting the second Internet site that have conducted a specific predetermined action on the first Internet site; 
 c. communicating with the second computer to cause the second computer to direct the electronic advertisement to those of the visitor computers that have been identified, as a result of part (b), as having conducted the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site, for display in ad space on the second Internet site by the identified visitor computers; and 
 d. causing a proprietor of the second Internet site to receive revenue, as a result of part (c), in an amount less than the first price, for display of the advertisement; 
 e. wherein the proprietor of the first Internet site retains at least part of the difference between the first price and the revenue received by the proprietor of the second Internet site. 
 
     
     
       24. The article of  claim 23  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a response to a particular question provided via the visitor computer on the first Internet site. 
     
     
       25. The article of  claim 23  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises a reaction via the visitor computer to a predetermined aspect of the first Internet site. 
     
     
       26. The article of  claim 23  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises remaining on the first Internet site for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       27. The article of  claim 23  wherein the specific predetermined action on the first Internet site comprises an interest expressed by visiting a section of the first site. 
     
     
       28. The article of  claim 23  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer dropping content of the advertisement into a browser of the visitor computer. 
     
     
       29. The article of  claim 23  wherein causing the second computer to direct the advertisement comprises the second computer directing a browser of the visitor computer to fetch the ad. 
     
     
       30. The article of  claim 23  wherein the advertisement is directed for display by the identified visitor computers using web television. 
     
     
       31. The article of  claim 23  wherein the revenue is calculated on a CPM basis. 
     
     
       32. The article of  claim 23  wherein the revenue is calculated as a percentage of a sales transaction resulting from display of the advertisement. 
     
     
       33. The article of  claim 23  wherein the subject matter of the advertisement relates to content of the first Internet site but not to content of the second Internet site.